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2 weeks in Europe....where to go

My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Europe for the first time in August. We have had such a difficult time narrowing down what cities to visit. After weeks of deliberation, we have finally come to a decision.
Fly into Amsterdam, stay 3 days
take a train to Paris, stay 4 days
fly (or overnight train) to Venice, stay 3 days
take a train to Rome, stay 4 days
Fly home
Does this itinerary sound like something that is do-able? We are young, active people who don't plan to visit again for some time due to busy schedules.
I would love any suggestions/helpful hints and input!

That sounds ideal! Congratulations on starting off with a perfectly viable idea of a 1st trip to Europe. You will see each city enough to know if you want to go back again, someday, and while August is going to be hot...you will enjoy yourselves because you won't be wiped out just getting from one place to another.

Have you looked for tickets yet? I like to use Yapta to track an itinerary for a while, but if you need specific dates, decide what you want to pay and if you find a fare you are comfortable like, take it. If you are going to do a flight from Paris to Venice, you should probably make that reservation sooner rather than later, once you have your big travel date, as those fares generally are lower a couple months before the date. I think it is similar with Thalys fare from AMS to Paris. You can start making hotel reservations before you firm up your flight plans, but be sure you can cancel without any extra cost. I like (and use) Venere.com for European hotels. DO find places with A/C...

In Amsterdam, we stayed near the Concertgebouw (SP?) rather than down in the canal areas. It is such an easy town to get around in. But it might be fun to be right there with a canal view (or at least in a place very very near a cafe that looks over a canal.) So think about that when you are scoping out possibilities. We did have a Grand Canal view in Venice -- it was worth being the splurge in accomodations on that trip.

There are tons of suggestions here for Paris and Rome...both are really walkable cities. I found it totally worthwhile to get the Paris Museum card and the Roma Pass. The later also gives you a couple days free use of the Rome Metro and buses...GREAT when it is hot. Don't be afraid to use the public transport in any of these cities.